About Pandemic Prowling: In this series, Pandemic Prowling, I share stories about my travels across 4 continents (Asia, N. America, S. America, Africa) amidst the outbreak of Covid19.
Making Due With What We Got
I was quite disappointed not being able to go to Costa Rica to work on a cattle ranch as a WWOOFer. I wound up in Mexico instead which was talked about in the previous post due to the fact that borders remained open in this Latin country. Border lockdowns were something outside of my control. But with all these talks of “flattening the curve” in terms of containing the coronavirus. I thought it would all be over in a matter of a few weeks so even though I had no plans on being in Mexico, I saw it as an opportunity to see a new country that I was given a chance to see, given the fact that it was broadcasted these lockdowns would last only a matter of 2 weeks.
Beautiful (Empty) Streets
So there I was in Guadalajara, Mexico. A city of fountains I believe it was coined, and beautiful it was… but quieter then usual I think.
Now I know that I had never visited this city pre lockdown, but I could just sense it. This was my first taste of lockdown travel and it definitely feels different. I would be asked to leave public places where I was sitting and thinking. It was the same story as everywhere where, police are there to enforce keeping people at home, but at the same time they recognize that many people can’t work from home and have to go out into the streets to earn their bread, less there be riots.
Most tourism sites and information booths were closed, so it was merely me roaming around the city taking in the day to day life that was still going on. All the while I was planning my move to either Costa Rica or Peru where I had contact with potential farmstay hosts who would take me in.
Reality Sets In
It was all just a matter of waiting until their borders reopened. Google, being my best friend, was what I used in order to find the right ticket to the next great adventure. The problem came when I waited and waited with flights being pushed back again and again.
Eventually it became more & more apparent that this lockdown situation is going to stretch on for quite a while. My rational therefore was that there was no point of me staying in Guadalajara for an extended period of time, so while I was still waiting for borders to reopen, might as well go and see another part of Mexico.
I had no idea what would be in store for me next.
Kingston S. Lim 